A letter to Father Frazer Mascarenhas SJ
Endorsed by academics, activists, educationists and others across India
To Father Frazer Mascarenhas SJ
Principal, St. Xavier’s College
Mumbai
Dear Father,
In these troubling times, when the mightiest are being bought over,
lured, seduced, or silenced, we salute you for your courage and moral
clarity in asking your students to choose wisely. By drawing the
attention of your students (who would have voted for the first time)
to the seamy underbelly of a ‘model’ that is being promoted
unabashedly by the corporate media as the panacea of all that which
ails India, we believe you acted responsibly and ethically. The
purpose of education is to inculcate critical thinking, to provide
tools of analysis, and to make students sensitive to social realities
– no matter how unpleasant they may be. Far from abusing your
position, as the BJP is alleging, we think that your advice is the
appropriate way for a teacher, and head of an academic institution, to
act.
There is reason, the BJP and its allies, ought to know, why
educational institutions, despite being funded fully or partially by
the government, are autonomous. This autonomy protects the right of
the academic to critique the government, leaders and policies without
fear. By rushing to the EC, the BJP has made a frontal attack on this
intellectual freedom which is constitutionally guaranteed. Besides,
this is very obviously a legally dishonest move: the code of conduct
applies only to political parties and not to private individuals or
social groups. Surely a party which is pretending to have already
formed the government should know this simple rule.
We are amused to read in the papers that local BJP leaders have said
that “we are ready to engage with the students in an open debate. But
the Principal should have withheld his views till such debate.” This
comes only a day after BJP cadres assaulted political opponents on a
live TV broadcast from Benaras. So much for open debate!
Your letter has prompted many mainstream media houses to question the
propriety of a college principal in writing a letter to students on
the eve of polling. We also believe that institutional spaces, while
retaining the right to be fiercely critical, should remain
non-partisan. Those who are quick to condemn and pillory you however
conveniently ignore that you only presented a critique – that
incidentally many democratic minded citizens share – without
recommending any political party.
Moreover, no questions have been raised about the way in which
educational institutions have been used systematically over the last
year or so, to build the Supreme Leader’s image among the youth. All
TV channels broadcast Modi’s Sri Ram Memorial Oration at Sri Ram
College of Commerce (DU) live last year; newspapers carried full-page
ads of the SRM University’s convocation ceremony where Modi was the
chief guest. Similarly, no channel is aghast at Modi’s plans to take
chopper tours of BHU and Kashi Vidyapeeth. This hypocrisy is
nauseating.
In an election marked by hyperbole, arrogance, threats and
insinuations, your letter, written with remarkable restraint and
sagacity will remain an important intervention. NOMOre stands with you
wholeheartedly and extends to you our sincerest solidarity.
Issued by NOMOre Campaign
April 25, 2014
Endorsed by
- Abha Bhaiya, activist, Himachal Pradesh
- Prof. Aditya Mukherjee, Professor of Contemporary History, Centre for
- Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Aditya Nigam, CSDS, Delhi
- Ahmed Sohaib, academic, Delhi
- Alia Sinha, MA student, School of Media and Cultural Studies,TISS
- Allan Collaco
- Amarjit Singh, Mumbai
- Amita Kanekar, Independent scholar, Panjim, Goa.
- Anchita Ghatak, development professional, Kolkata
- Anita Cherian
- Anjali Kanitkar
- Anjali Monteiro, Ph.D., Professor & Dean, School of Media and Cultural
- Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
- Ankita Pandey, Assistant Professor, Indraprastha College for Women,
- Annie Koshi
- Anomita Sen, Delhi
- Ansari Najmus Saher
- Anu Kumar, writer, Maryland, USA
- Professor Archana Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi
- Anusha Rizvi, filmmaker, Delhi
- Arvind Krishnaswamy
- Arzanne De Vitre, Teacher and Xavier Alumni, Bombay / Norway
- Ashwini Deshpande, Delhi University, New Delhi
- Asha Mishra, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti
- Asit, social activist, Delhi
- Atul Sood, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Bindhulakshmi Pattadath, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
- Brinda Bose, Delhi University, New Delhi.
- Battini Rao, Convener, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS)
- Bina Sarkar Ellias
- Bindhulakshmi Pattadath, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
- Brinda Bose, Delhi University, New Delhi
- Brinelle D’souza
- Charu Gargi, Tallinn, Estonia
- Chayanika Shah, member, university women development cell, university of mumbai
- Chrissie D Costa, former student and staff of SXC, UK
- Sr. Claudette, Miranda DSP
- Fr. Cleophas Braganza, sdb, DBYS, Mumbai
- Coral D’Sylva, Alumni, St Xaviers College
- CP Chandrasekhar, Professor of Economics, JNU
- Daniel Mazgaonkar
- Dinesh Abrol
- Disha Mullick, Delhi
- Durgesh, Centre for Urban Policy and Governance, Tata Institute of
- Dyuti, New Delhi
- Farida Lamba, advocate, Mumbai
- Farrukh Waris
- Firoz S Khimani
- Dr. Fleur D’Souza, Thane
- Gabriele Dietrich
- Gauri Nori, Alumni, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
- Geeta Balakrishnan
- Geeta Kapur, independent art critic, New Delhi
- Geeta Seshu, Journalist, Mumbai
- George Jose, Kings College, London
- Glenn Fawcett, Executive Director Operations, Lotus Outreach International,.
- Glen D’Costa, Mumbai
- Harsh Mander, Aman Biradari, Delhi
- Hazel D’Lima
- Helen Saldanha
- Himali Kapil, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
- Hussain Indorewala, Mumbai
- Indira Chandrasekhar, New Delhi
- Indu Rajesh, Xavier Alumni and banker, Sydney
- Janaki Nair,Professor,Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Janaki Srinivasan, Professor, Chandigarh University
- Janice Lazarus, TISS, Hyderabad
- Jasdeep Singh, Software Engineer, Translator, Chandigarh
- Jason Keith Fernandes, Independent Scholar, Taleigão Goa
- Jaya Sharma, New Delhi
- Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Jyoti Dogra
- K. Ramnarayan, Munsiari, Uttarakhand
- K.P. Jayasankar, Ph.D., Professor & Chair, Centre for Critical Media
- Praxis, School of Media and Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of Social
- Kabi Sherman, Bombay
- Kamayani Bali Mahabal, advocate, Mumbai
- Karuna D’Souza, Delhi
- Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA Secretary
- Ketaki Chowkhani, TISS, Mumbai
- Ketaki Rege, Lawyer, Mumbai
- Kriti Budhiraja, JNU
- Kiran Shaheen, Journalist and Anti Poverty Activist
- Kislay, Student, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune
- Labia Queer Feminist LBT Collective, Mumbai
- Lavanya Ramakrishnan, Software Engineer, US
- Lesley A. Esteves, queer rights activist, New Delhi
- Lorraine D’Souza, Mumbai
- Madhuresh Kumar, NAPM Delhi
- Mamatha Karollil, Ambedkar University, Delhi(AUD)
- Mario da Penha, St. Xavier’s Alumnus & Historian, Mumbai
- Mahmood Farooqui, writer and theatre artist, Delhi
- Maharukh Adenwalla, Advocate, Mumbai
- Manisha Sethi, Academic, Delhi
- Mansi Sharma, activist, Delhi
- Marcia D Cunha
- Mary E. John, Senior Fellow, Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS).
- Mary Kochuveettil, St Mary and Community
- Maya Krishna Rao
- Meena Saraswathi Seshu, SANGRAM, Sangli
- Mercy Minj
- Prof. Mridula Mukherjee, Professor of Modern Indian History,
- Nandini Rao, Delhi
- Navjot Altaf, artist, Mumbai
- Neha Lamech, Student, London school of hygiene and tropical Medicine, Chennai.
- Nikhil Titus, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and Xaviers alumni, 2007
- Nishant Shah, Professor, Leuphana University, Lueneburg, Germany
- Niti Saxena, Lucknow
- Nivedita Menon, JNU, Delhi
- Noella de Souza, Avehi-Abacus Project, Mumbai
- Noor, Xavier Alumni, New Delhi
- Noor Enayat, Brand Consultant, New Delhi
- Proshant Chakraborty, Alumni, St Xavier’s, 2013
- Prabha Saha, Alumni, media professional, Class of ’92
- Sr. Pratiksha Rathod F.C.St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Mumbai
- Proshant Chakraborty, Xavier Alumni, 2013, Bombay
- Purva Dewoolkar
- Purwa Bharadwaj, Writer/Researcher, Delhi
- Putul Sathe
- Ram Puniyani, All India Secular Forum
- Rama Shyam, Governing Board member, SAHER
- Rakhi Sehgal
- Ratna, lawyer, New Delhi
- Rituparna Borah, queer feminist activist, Delhi
- Rochelle Pinto
- Rohini Hensman, independent scholar and writer, Bombay
- Dr R.S.Dahiya, HGVS Haryana
- Rupal Oza
- Sadia Zafar, University of Oxford, Oxford
- Saheli Women’s Resource Centre, New Delhi
- Sameera Khan, independent journalist and researcher, Mumbai
- Sangeeta Banerji, Tata institute of Social Sciences
- Shabani Hassanwalia, filmmaker, New Delhi
- Shalini Mahajan, Mumbai
- Shalini Nirmal, Ghaziabad
- Shalini Sharma, Guwahati
- Shazia Nigar, Journalist, Bhubaneswar
- Sheba Chacchi, independent artist and activist, New Delhi
- Shilpa Phadke, Assistant Professor, School of Media and Cultural
- Shipra Nigam, Consultant Economist, New Delhi
- Shoba V Ghosh, University of Mumbai
- Shubhabrata Bhattacharya
- Shruti Upadhyay
- Shruti Mukherjee, TARSHI
- Shyama Narang, Medical Doctor, Bangalore
- Simantini Dhuru, documentary filmmaker, education activist
- Simpreet Singh
- Stephanie D’sa, Content writer and Xavier Alumni, Mumbai
- Sudheer Rikhari
- Sujatha Subramanian
- Sukla Sen, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai
- Suma Josson
- Sumi Krishna, independent scholar and writer, Bangalore
- Suroor, advocate and child rights activist
- Tanushree Gangopadhyay, Ahmedabad
- Tavpritesh Sethi, Scientist, Delhi
- Teena Gill
- Tejaswini Pendse, Xavier Alumni, Mumbai
- Tejaswini Niranjana, Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore
- Tushar Joag, Associate Professor, School of Art, Design and Performing
- Arts, Shiv Nadar University
- Ujjwala Mhatre
- Uma Chakravarti, feminist historian, New Delhi
- Uma.V.Chandru
- Umang Bhattacharya, filmmaker and photographer, New Delhi
- Urmimala Sarkar, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics,
- Vahida Nainar, Women’s Rights, Human Rights Law Researcher
- Vaibhav Parel, Delhi University
- Varsha Mehta
- Vani Subramanian
- Veena Poonacha
- Vijay Hiremath
- Vineeta Bal, Scientist, New Delhi.
- Vinita Bhatia, Associate Professor, St Xaviers College, Mumbai
- Vinita Sahasranaman, Gurgaon
- Virginia Saldanha, Indian Christian Women’s Movement, Mumbai
- Vivan Sundaram, Independent artist, Delhi
NOMOre Campaign is a non-funded, non-party affiliated secular
platform. We do not endorse any political party.
April 24, 2014 at 9:51 pm
Thank you. 🙂
April 25, 2014 at 10:36 am
Bravo! Well said and argued.Selective demands of ‘objectivity’ and ‘dispassionate opinion’ are ridiculous. At a time when the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP tells a mixed population that he has come to Varanasi at the call of Ma Ganga, what objectivity are we talking about?
April 25, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Thank you very much for the support. I am glad that my attempt to generate some critical thinking among our students in the context of the elections has reached a wider audience. I trust that much good will come out of all this.
Am very privileged to receive your well enunciated letter, signed by many who I myself admire and am inspired by.
Pledging solidarity in the struggle for good governance and true development.
May 18, 2014 at 11:28 am
WELL DONE.THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WITH MORAL COURAGE STANDING FOR WHAT THEY THINK IS RIGHT. HAVING STUDIED UNDER THE JESUITS AT ST XAVIER,S CALCUTTA(1963) I AM FULLY ACQUAINTED WITH WHAT YOU STOOD FOR.WE HAVE A DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD BUT NOT UNNEGOTIABLE, AS I AM SURE ALL XAVERITES HAVE IMBIBED HIGH VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OVER THE YEARS WHICH WILL BE PUT TO TEST.IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE GOOD “SAMARITAN” IN US.
.BRAVO FATHER MASCARENHAS